Aquatic Vegetation Mapping

Aquatic Vegetation Mapping and Monitoring within the St. Lawrence River (Cornwall) Area of Concern

Project Goals/Objectives

This aquatic vegetation mapping project was initiated due to a lack of knowledge concerning the condition, makeup, and spread of the aquatic macrophytes (plants) within Lake St. Francis. The results from this project will provide valuable information on a number of different aspects within the AOC. The map will also act as a decision-making tool for projects dealing with aquatic habitat enhancement, creation, or rehabilitation.

The data gathered will be used to make multi-layered maps that can be used for the identification of specific types of habitat (eg. specific species preferences such as the Muskellunge Habitat Suitability Index), analyze the fish community, and track changes in the aquatic plant community over time. As the environmental conditions change within the AOC (water temperature, nutrient levels, flows, water level fluctuations, water clarity), then any subsequent changes or shifts in the composition of the plant community can be captured through time with this mapping.

The sampling area for this project includes the Ontario portion of Lake St. Francis (between the Quebec border and the Moses-Saunders Power Dam) out to a depth of six meters from main land. The transects are placed every 500 meters along the shoreline in a ‘V’ shape and sampling stations are located every 200 meters along each transect. At each station the specific and general vegetation densities are recorded along with depth, and substrate composition and firmness.